From Deseret News archives:

15 Mexico citizens are indicted

Charges stem from raid at Hyrum meat-packing plant

Published: Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2006 10:28 p.m. MST
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Baird said there also could be more arrests: "They were not able to pick up everyone they had an arrest warrant for."

Meanwhile, Wednesday, about two dozen protesters rallied and prayed outside the Federal Building in Salt Lake to show their support for the arrested workers.

"We believe that any time workers are struggling they should support each other," said Julie Holzner of the United Steel Workers Local 12-593. "That's what we're doing."

Across the street, Michelle Herzog was among a handful of Utah Minuteman Project members out to support continued crackdowns on illegal immigration. "It's very scary that our identity could be stolen by other people who are not legally in this country," she said.

Federal law enforcement officials say most people caught up in the raid will not be charged with crimes, but their situations will be handled administratively and they could be deported.

In Utah, 114 arrests were for administrative matters related to immigration status, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It remained unclear how many of those 114 remain in federal custody, or if any now face criminal charges.

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ICE spokeswoman Lori Haley said information wasn't immediately available on how many had taken the option of "voluntary removal," which does not count as a deportation, rather than face a hearing. Haley said she also didn't have information on whether ICE had released any of those arrested, pending a hearing, or if they all remained in custody.

If any of those detained opted for a hearing, their case would be handed over to the Executive Office of Immigration Review under the Department of Justice. Agency spokeswoman Elaine Komis said she couldn't provide information on specific cases without knowing alien numbers, which is how the agency tracks cases.

Komis said, in general, an immigration judge considers two questions: Whether a person is removable under immigration law and if the person is eligible for relief of removal.

While the most common request is by those seeking asylum from persecution in their homeland, non-permanent residents who meet several criteria may also seek relief.

Those criteria include good moral character, living in the United States for at least 10 years, and demonstrating that removal would cause "exceptional and extremely unusual hardship" for an immediate family member who is a citizen or legal permanent resident.

Manuel Morodo, consul for the Department of Protection for the Salt Lake Mexican Consulate, said some of those arrested will face deportation hearings today.

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People rally at the Federal Building in Salt Lake City Wednesday in support of those arrested in the Swift raid in Hyrum.

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